An incident of carjacking on Chicago's South Side resulted in a 16-year-old boy being shot early Thursday morning. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, around 5:20 a.m., a 47-year-old man seated in his vehicle was approached by a group including the teen on the 1600 block of West 82nd Street; the assailants demanded his Toyota Camry and proceeded to spray a chemical agent toward him.
The man, who is reported by CBS News Chicago to hold a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card and Concealed Carry License responded by discharging his firearm striking the 16-year-old in the knee and grazing his arm as a result, the boy was hospitalized and is currently in fair condition while the remaining suspects successfully fled in the man's vehicle, heading eastbound.
Following the event, the 47-year-old victim did not require hospitalization; he was treated at the scene for exposure to the chemical agent. As of now, no charges have been filed against him and the three other individuals involved in the attempted carjacking are not yet in custody, "Area Two detectives are investigating," as stated by CBS News.
The increasing instances of carjackings raise questions about safety and the rights of individuals to defend themselves in a city grappling with complex narratives of crime and self-protection the case remains under active investigation by local authorities encouraging anyone with information to come forward to help in capturing those at large.
